Mark's Animation Reviews

Porco Rosso

2006-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Ghibli Studios in Japan is probably the only animation studio short of Disney that can create an animated film in any genre or setting and fill it with innocence, whimsy and imagination. Porco Rosso is a prime example of Ghibli's talent for achieving these elements in animation. The best part about this film is that is filled with all the same elements I just mentioned and yet it takes place in a real-world setting and time.

Porco Rosso takes place over the Mediterrainean during the 1920's where seaplane roam the skies. Cruise ships and transit boats are under attack from seaplane pirates. When the pirates attack, the people call Porco Rosso (or by his birthname, Marcus) to ward off the meddling pirates. The name was given to him because of an unexpected curse that has transformed his face into that of a pig. The curse is never gone into any depth and there doesn't need to be any. The curse symbolizes Marcus' decent from being an Italian army pilot to a seaplane bounty hunter. When Porco isn't shooting down planes or kicking back on his secret island, he hangs out at Gina's club, along with the other pirates. Gina holds a special plate in heart for Porco despite her distaste in reckless pilots having lost many husbands to the sky.

When the pirates decide to team up against Porco, they hire an American pilot, Curtis, to take down the pig. Curtis ambushes Porco as he is transporting his plane to Mulan. Porco's plane is hit, Curtis assumes it crashes and collects a shot off piece as proof of his victory. Porco lays lows in Mulan to avoid the Italian government who are out to get him for quitting the service. He takes his plane to his old friend, Piccolo. Porco assumes that his plane will be repaired by Piccolo's trusty team of boys, but instead he finds an all-women team at helm lead by Piccolo's plucky grandaughter, Fio. Porco doesn't feel comfortable with Fio at first, but later accepts her after observing her hard work and dedication. Once his plane is back up and running again, Fio decides to tag along to encourage Porco in his life and his eventual showdown with Curtis.

The setting of Porco Rosso takes place in a time of war. It contains mention of pilots dying overseas, the purchasing of war bonds and one particular haunting flashback of Porco witnessing all the planes he shot down. However, this is not a serious nor a depressing movie. All the violence happening in the current state of the world serves as backdrop for an entertaining adventure about a bounty hunter and the pirates he defeats.

Porco is a very likable character. He remains a calm and cool individual who is really just trying to shy away from the humanity of his past life. He confident of himself about where he is at in life, but not about where he wants to end up. Porco simply goes with what he knows best and deals with the events as they happen. Fio herself is a more external individual who gives Porco the extra kick forward he needs in life to make a name for himself. Her determination may seem a little stereotypical, but her charm and compassion makes her a lovable character. An interesting group of characters I found to be entertaining were the pirates of the Mamma Aiuto Gang. They are terrible pirates who spend most of their time screwing up raids and bumbling than most pirates would, but something about their intelligence and ignorance makes them the most excentric and hilarious characters of the movie.

Many of the aerial fight sequences are spectacular with multiple planes flying around in a variety of angles. What surprised me the most is how much care and research has been put into these planes. Porco's seaplane in particular is quite a junker that requires a little bit of a kickstart to get going and even starts to shows signs of engine problems during it's first take off.

What I love most about Porco Rosso is that it's a story without any particular subtextual meaning. There are no messages about war, violence, economics or any culture. It's just a fun and entertaining action adventure film and it happens to be a very well done one at that. Porco Rosso is the type film that requires no interpretation and can be enjoyed by all.

2D, 90 minutes, 1992

Perfect Blue

2006-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

Rating: * * * *

Perfect Blue is unlike any thriller or animation I've ever seen before. It combines every visual element you could possibly imagine in an animation with an intense and psychological script. Not since Hitchcock have I ever seen a thriller with such visual flair put into every shot.

Mima is a pop idol of the music group CHAM who quits that industry to take on the role of an actress. However, this does not sit well for her fans. Her choice to move into the world of acting is influenced by her two agents, Mr. Tadokoro and Rumie, who act almost like her parents. Tadokoro is concerned with Mima's career while Rumie is mainly concerned about what Mima wants. Mima herself isn't quite sure what she wants, but there are many who don't want her to change. Right after she leaves the band, she recieves death threats, bomb letters and even an online journal with someone else claiming to be Mima. The online journal wouldn't be as scary if it didn't cite specific examples of everything her life such as what kind of milk she buys and why. Somebody is spying on Mima.

Things only get worse once her role on the cop drama Double Bind starts up. She starts off with a small role spanning one memorable line: "excuse me...who are you?" Slowly, her career builds up to a leading on the show. However, it comes with the price of doing a rape scene and posing nude for a magazine. While Mima understands that this is what it takes to get a career in acting, another part of her rejects it. Often Mima will spot another version of herself in her traditional CHAM uniform questioning her own motives. Mima's number 1 obsessed fan, Mimania, is also able to see this version of Mima. Is this a version of Mima that these two people hold dear in their psyche or is it a physical form that has taken the shape of the past Mima? Or is it both?

Director Satoshi Kon takes advantage of every aspect of animation to enhance a psychological thriller. The lighting and shot of just about every scene is perfect for creating the right mood. The scenes involving Mima's psychological self are truly scary in the way the camera closes the enviornment and the lighting focuses directly on the character. The color and visual elements of every scene shines with such precise direction. But the one element of this film that stands out the most is the editing. Kon's is able to let the viewer into Mima's world as there are many moments where you aren't quite sure whether the events that are happening to her are either part of the show she is acting on or in the real world. Which ever it is, they are both connected and layer themselves on top of one another.

I guess what makes Perfect Blue so great is that it leaves most of the plot up to the viewer until the final plot twist answers all questions at the end. But even then, there are still many questions left unanswered that the viewers are left to decide on. Although I am positive most will not choose to have these questions answered and would rather just let themselves be drawn in by the plot twists and visual elements that need know explanation in their minds. This is an interesting and entertaining thriller that can be enjoyed on many levels.

2D, 80 minutes, 1997

Hoodwinked

2006-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

Rating : * * 1/2

At a glance, Hoodwinked appears to be nothing special. The CG animation is about average, the gags are pretty standard and the story treads on familiar ground. Though it may be nothing special, it certainly isn't terrible.

The story begins with Red Riding Hood, aka Red, arriving at her Granny's house with a basket of goodies. The Wolf is there dressed up as the granny, Granny is tied up in the closet and for some reason an axe-handling German busts through the window. From there, the story leading up to the current situation is told from the perspectives of the four characters. Apparently there is a crisis in the fairy tale world involving the leaking of recipes forcing various food services to shut down. Red, fearing that Granny's recipes are in danger, decides to take them to her grandma's house. Along the way she is pursued by the Wolf who is actually a reporter trying to get a story on the recipe thief. He teams up with an ADD squirrel as his photographer. For some reason, a German wanna-be actor named Kirk is thrown into the mix as he is also hit by the recipe bandit. Finally, Granny's story is told about her double life as an extreme sports athelete. From there, it is up to them to solve the true identity of the bandit thief which isn't too difficult to deduce.

As I mentioned earlier, Hoodwinked's gags are pretty standard. Anyone who is even a little familiar with pop culture will be able to recognize the jokes. You have the Kill Bill moment, the bullet-time moment, etc. The majority of the gags are based around fairy tales which gives the movie a little originality. Okay, it sounds like a clone of Shrek with less energy, but it still holds well on it's own. Perhaps that is the film's short coming is that the jokes and gags don't have as much punch. Or it could be that most of the gags don't feel THAT funny. Although I will admit there were a few scenes with a banjo-playing goat that had me chuckling a bit. And the comedy between the deadpan Wolf and his hyper squirrel companion makes for some good humor.

Looking over the 3D animation, there are some parts that work and some that don't. The characters look about average in their design. The animation and expression of the characters are a different story. They feel very limited in terms of what the characters can actually do in their actions. I look at the Wolf and can't see him expressing much outside of his deadpan expression. Then again, the characters don't recieve many chance to get very physical. I mean, they do get in chases, run around, go flying through the air, go snowboarding and such, but they still don't feel that active. Just taking a glance at the animation you can tell it wasn't very state-of-the-art and probably didn't have a big budget.

And, as I soon discovered, it was done on a limited budget. However, it was not because a big studio was trying to save a few bucks. Hoodwinked was animated by a small studio just trying to get it done. Now although Hoodwinked wasn't quite as original and some of the comedy could use some work, the film serves as a shining example for more independent and low-budget animations to make their way into the theatrical world. Looking forward into the future, this could bode well for many writers/directors/animators who want to do theatrical animation, but lack the money and studio power. It's movies like this that make me hopeful for the future of animation.

3D, 80 minutes, 2006

Eight Crazy Nights

2005-12-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Rating: * 1/2

Adam Sandler's gross-out humor and inexplicably annoying voices knows no bounds when it comes to cinema. Now he has decided to take both of these elements which seem to hold well in the box office and transfer them into the world of animation. My question is why does Sandler feel the need to go so far with the gross-out humor and why does he feel the need to voice about half the cast when his voices are just annoying?

The main character of this holiday calamity is Davey, a 33-year-old drunk Jewish guy who hates the holidays, social situations and himself as the opening song suggests. He leaves restraunts without paying the check, burps in public, humps inanimate objects, and causes destruction of property. The character looks like and is voiced by Adam Sandler. If this character has any relation to Sandler himself, he should be going through years of therapy. Davey is on the verge of being thrown into prison until Whitey, an old midget who referees youth basketball and also voiced by Sandler, decides to take him in and wants him to help referee games. Sandler's voice for Whitey isn't exactly easy on the ears nor is it an impressive talent. It doesn't help that Sandler also voices Whitey sister, Elenore.

Davey is not a very likable character. There isn't a line of dialogue that comes out of his mouth that isn't filled malice, defecation, sex, or juvenile gibberish. The only character that I feel any sympathy for in this film would have to be Whitey. There is a scene where Whitey is pushed down a hill in a port-a-potty, he emerges covered in crap, and Davey freezes him with a hose. Davey then dubs him a "poop-sicle". This isn't only ridiculously juvenile, it's also mean-spirited and sadistic even if it is just animated.

The only elements of this film that have good qualities are the songs and the animation. The songs, all sung by Sandler, have a nice flow to them and the last song in particular is quite enjoyable. The animation is vibrant with color and very natural movement. Even scenes that I hate to watch, such as Whitey going into a seizure on the basketball court, are animated very well. It's just too bad all this great animation had to be wasted on animating burps, farts, sexual gestures, seizures, and excrement. The film could have redeemed itself by having a snappy ending, but, no. It goes straight for the predictable, peaceful and heartwarming ending that you can see coming a mile away.

So who is the film geared towards? It's not for kids because it's too disgusting and it's not for adults because it's too juvenile. I guess that leaves the teenage crowd, but I seriously hope that this audiance is smart enough to tell that this is a terrible film too childish for it's own good.

2D, 71 minutes, 2002

Fall 2005 TV Animation Reviews

2005-12-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

He are some short reviews of animated TV series that debuted this fall of 2005.

Loonatics Unleashed (WB)
Rating: *

The Looney Tunes characters have remained so iconic over the years. Even after being spun-off into Tiny Toon Adventures, Space Jam and Baby Looney Tunes, the character traits and personalities remain the same. They've remained the same for so long because they work. That is why Loonatics Unleashed is a perfect example of why you shouldn't tamper with characters that have survived the test of time.

Loonatic Unleashed takes the Looney Tunes characters, dresses them up with a slick design and give them super powers. The characters are suppose to be animals mutated by radiation in the future and they defend the Earth against monsters. I can't really say I care about any of these characters because there is no reason to. They are all very much the same souless, angsty hero types except for Daffy who offers some comic relief. They express no personality or emotion and their voices grate on your nerves. The animation is about average and that isn't saying much for a show that is trying to be futuristic, vibrant and action-packed.

I couldn't help but look at Loonatics Unleashed and imagine it being made in the 1980's. The show resembles that all-to-common feel of being too commercial to blatantly sell toys to children. If this show were made in the 1980's, it may have done well. But since the 1980's there have been several parodies of the blatant commercialism in cartoons that Loonatics appears more as a joke than action cartoon.

The Boondocks (Adult Swim)
Rating: * * *

Based off the newspaper comic strip, The Boondocks is another animated series that dares to push the envelope of how much you can get away with on TV. However, the show takes a more unique step above the low-brow comedy of Family Guy or the political satire of American Dad. The Boondocks seeks comedy where others fear to tread.

I was afraid that this show was going to be a completely liberal-friendly romp through everyday life. And if the first episode was all I watched, I would've believed that. The very first lines out of Huey's mouth are "Jesus was black, Ronald Reggan was the devil and the government is lying to you about 9/11." Huey says that at a dinner party and all the white guests go crazy. The first episode also gives off the impression that all white people would be portrayed as fearful, pompous morons, but it isn't just white people who get slammed on this show. In fact, African-Americans are satired more than white people on the show. There is an episode focussing on the trail of R. Kelly peeing on a little girl that results in the black jury not listening to the defense as the black-lawyer is married to a white woman. That episode even goes as far as the closing arguements features R. Kelly singing and every black person in the courtroom dancing along. That doesn't mean, however, that the show can't be subtle. There is another episode about two ex-soldiers tracking down a killer that resembles the events of 9/11. It feels a bit like South Park without the gross out gags.

The animation quality is above average for an animated series based off a comic strip and the colors are beautiful. The music is also another high point of the show. The only difficulty with this show is that it probably won't appeal to everyone. Certain characters will turn others off like Grandad, who won't hesitate to beat his kids in the back of the car, or Ruckus, an old black man who loves white people and hates black people. The show even goes as far as spouting off the "n" word as much as possible. But, for those who want to see a take-no-prisoners satire of real life events and stereotypes, this is worth checking out.

Family Guy season 4 (Fox)
Rating: * * 1/2

Family Guy returns to television after being cancelled prematurely by the network. But is it still as funny? Fans would say yes, but it doesn't take much to please them.

The new season started off strong with the episode entitled North by North Quahog which parodies the classic Hitchcock movie while taking jabs at Mel Gibson. The pace and gags of that episode were brilliant. Then the episode went on and the quality began to decrease. It eventually reaches a point where all the characters become predictable. Episodes like Petarded and Perfect Castaway all have predictable setups and gags that fall flat.

While the new season does have some mild moments of hilarity, it has more low-brow low-laugh episodes than brilliant ones. The stories are starting to become to flat, the jokes are losing their punch and some of the plots just go nowhere. Overall, it's more of the same for hardcore fans, but less of the same for casual viewers.

American Dad (Fox)
Rating: * * *

Many people have claimed to hate this show because it tries to emulate Family Guy. By that logic, Family Guy could be emulating the Simpsons, the Simpsons could be emulating Married with Children, etc. So dropping that flawed argument, I'll talk about the show.

American Dad is about Stan Smith, a conservative CIA agent, who live with his family in suburbia. The family consists of Francine, Stan's lovely and self-rightous wife, Steve, his nerdy son, Hilary, his liberal college daughter, Roger, an alien Stan saved from Area 51, and Klause, a talking German fish. Now, despite that odd setup, American Dad actually succeeds in both the story and joke department. All the characters work well with the show and they all get in some good screen time for jokes. Although the show is very political in it's satire, it manages to do a good job of taking-no-prisoners with the comedy. Some of the best episodes includes one where Stan's boss, voiced by Patrick Stewart, dates his daughter and an episode where the Smith family moves to Saudi Arabia.

Overall, from what I've seen so far, this show has the comedy and the writing to keep up with Family Guy if not surpass it. The episodes thus far have proven to be quite entertaining. I expect great things from this series.

Drawn Together season 2 (Comedy Central)
Rating: * * *

The first season of Drawn Together seemed like a one-joke show. Putting a punch of cartoon characters in a house and force them to repeat several challenges of other realities shows could wear thin very fast in a series. But this second season actually pulls the series together as they focus more on the characters and their personalities while still getting in some funny cartoon parodies.

Pretty much all the episodes are focussed on the characters and their ordeals. Captain Hero finds his parents and learns that they wanted him aborted. Spanky marries Xandir for the health insurance dispite his distaste for homosexuality. Ling-Ling's parents set him up to settle down with one opponent rather than several partners. Wooldor has considers to stop masturbating for the good of god yet his seed cure illness. All these stories work well and give a nice consistancy to the show. The only problem is that some characters don't get as much screen time as others. Toot seems to be least used character on the show. In fact, there is one episode where Clara and Toot don't show up until the very end and comment on how they were never used.

Still, the animation is fantastic, the gags are funny and you really get more of a feel for the characters. Drawn Together has really picked itself up in this second season. I would not be surprised if there is a third in the works.

South Park season 9 (Comedy Central)
Rating: * *

South Park has always been noticed for their satire of current events. However, these new episodes tend to focus more on zany adventures than topical humor. Does it work? The answer is yes and no.

The premiere episode features a satire of Hurricane Katrina, but ultimately ends up as a parody of The Day After Tomorrow. It is another setup where Kyle, Stan and Cartman are wise to situation and everyone else overreacts like idiots. Another topical episode focuses on Scientology which takes an interesting turn in simply explaining what Scientologists actually believe and that is the joke. However, this episode flows into another not so amusing running gag of Tom Cruise being in the closet. It's funny for the first minute, than they just run the joke straight into the ground. The actual zany adventure episodes hold more promise than the topical ones. The best of this season would probably be the episode where Butters dresses up as a girl in order to infiltrate a girl's slumber party to steal a cootie catcher that the boys believe is a dangerous device. That story is great. Others go for the more sick and gross-out humor such as flying a killer whale to the moon and a virgin Mary statue bleeding out the ass.

Overall, the majority of this batch of episodes are pretty mediocre. It's just as funny or clever as it once was. South Park may have another season left in it, but it is already showing signs of deteriation.

Tripping the Rift season 2 (Sci-Fi Channel)
Rating: * * *

This show is experiencing the same effect as Drawn Together. It started out with a low-brow, one-joke premise and than pulled itself together in the second season. It's a good thing too as I could get use to the idea of a long-running CGI comedy show.

Now that we've been introduced to the characters in the first season, this show doesn't waste anytime in getting a story started up. The premiere episode features the crew crash landing on a planet where lizzard-people like Whip are hailed as gods only to be killed off in a televised hunt. Another episode features the crew selling KY Jelly to a homosexual planet where heterosexuality is forbidden. All these episodes hold great promise and they deliver. But what is most impressive is how developed the characters are. Chode is still a crude and lude captain who makes rash commands and will blurt out anything he wants to say. Six is a sex android who has a personality of her own that allows her to seperate her personality from the other crew members. Gus is the in-the-closet robot, T'nuk is a feminist fatty and Whip is your average teenage punk.

The series is able to stay consistant and deliver some pretty nice animation through this fast paced series. That is why I hope this series has a long life as it is pretty much the first of it's kind to survive another season. The jokes are crude and even a little disgusting at times, but they are delivered with class. That is what seperates Tripping the Rift from others animated sitcoms.

The Polar Express

2005-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Rating: * * * *

I've seen lots of Christmas specials in my time and the majority of them were mostly forgettable. Mostly because they were too topical or satiracle to become classics. There was one special I couldn't remember the name of where Frosty attacks Santa's workshop with giant walking igloos in the style of AT-STs from Star Wars. Finally, after witnessing all that disposable shlock, The Polar Express comes along. This is what makes a classic Christmas movie.

Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, the movie is about a young boy who questions the existence of Santa Clause. He is the young hero of this movie and we never learn his name. He is simply referred to as hero boy. The boy is awakened the night of Christmas Eve when a gigantic train stops in the middle of his house. The train conductor states that it is the Polar Express and encourages the boy to get on due to his disbelieve in Santa. Hesitant at first, the boy climbs aboard where he is greeted by several other children. These children's name are never revealed as well and are simply referred to as Hero Girl, Lonely Boy and Know-It-All. Hero Girl is an african-american girl who doesn't seem to be scared anything and is always helpful. Lonely Boy is a boy who is the exact opposite and is very shy. Know-It-All is an obnoxious nerd who likes to rationalize everything. The rest of the cast is composed of characters played by Tom Hanks such as the conductor, a magical hobo ghost and even Santa Clause.

Calling this movie a visual masterpiece is a gross understatement. Much like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, The Polar Express' CGI creates an uber-reality that isn't quite cartoonish and isn't quite realistic. At any rate, the film looks gorgeous. Every shot is brimming with the life and beauty matching the illustrations of the original book. There was one beautiful long shot in which one of the train tickets is swept up by the wind, has a long journey through the wintery woods and ends up back on the train. Also, a few of the shots harken back to illustrations in the book such as the first shot of the Polar Express and the last shot of sleigh bell. The CGI is top notch. Everything from the character expressions to the clothing to the snow all looks gorgeous. The film was animated by capturing the motion of actors and animating them into scenes. One remarkable fact about the animation is that Tom Hanks actually did all the physical acting for hero boy. But what makes this process of animation so brilliant is that it allows for much better acting and expression in the characters.

Although the film is rated G, there are a lot of scenes of great danger. In one scene, Hero Boy and the hobo actually go skiing down the train as it goes up and down hills. Another scene has the train go off the tracks as they are covered in ice. The movie seems to flow through a series of thrilling and sometimes scary events. There is one creepy scene where a train car carries abandoned toys. But that is what makes this a great film for families and especially for kids. When I was a kid, I could remember being creeped out by Nightmare Before Christmas, but I still loved it because it did a good job at creeping me out.

But what makes this film so great for kids is that it doesn't talk down to them. Of course, the film is a fantasy, but it is a believable fantasy that kids can connect with. Sure, from a glance, it appears to be another story where someone doesn't believe in Santa and is proven wrong. However, this goes back to why kid's like creepy films. They believe them and become scared only to realize just how non-scary the film was when they get older, but they'll still remember those moments when they were scared.

The Polar Express was directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also directed Who Framed Roger Rabbtit, and he does a good job at retaining the magic and energy that made the book such a classic. He has created a film that is both entertaining, beautiful, thrilling and even a little scary. As a result, it will go down as a Christmas classic that will surely take the place of Charlie Brown and Rudolph.

CGI/Motion Capture, 100 minutes, 2004

Spriggan

2005-11-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Rating: * * *

Everyone's taste in films change from time to time. There are somedays where I'm not in the mood for an epic adventure or a family-friendly comical romp. Somedays I just want to see a film that offers something much different and can be enjoyed on other levels. Spriggan is a perfect example of action escapism.

The story starts off as would a typical Indiana Jones flick. Explorers discover an ancient relic in Turkey that brings about destruction yet still delve into it anyway. This particular prize is Noah's Arc. The race is now on for two sides to take control of the Arc. The good guys are ARCAM, an international elite military, and the bad guys are the US Machine Core, a special-ops group of cyborgs. ARCAM's most prized warriors are called Spriggans, soldiers who have a bit more physical strength and agility. Our main hero is a Spriggan called Ominae Yu from Japan.

Ominae, however, is still in high school as the opening would suggest. Although, instead of witnessing his usual school life, we come in on a moment when his personal life is threatened. One of his friends commits suicide with a message on his shirt about Noah. So, naturally, after hearing about the discovery of Noah's Arc, he raises off to Turkey. Of course, it couldn't be that easy for Ominae to just arrive in Turkey and be taken straight to Noah's Arc. The second he arrives, he is ambushed at every turn. Once he actually does arrive at Noah's Arc, the location is assaulted by the US Machine Core lead by physically childish and mentally crazy Colonel MacDougal.

MacDougal is a cyborg who bares the appearance of a child, but is equipped with psychic powers. This makes it a little more difficult for Ominae to fight him. Accompanying MacDougal are two other cyborg named Fat Man and Little Boy based on their physical structures. Fat Man has more of connection with Ominae, so their fight become pretty personal. Little Boy is taken care of by Jean, another Spriggan from France. Jean doesn't really contribute much as a character, but, just like a lot of characters in action films, he works well for the story.

And just like most adventures involving ancient relics, Noah's Arc contains special spiritual abilities that reflect the relic's purpose. In this case, a weather controller. It doesn't quite add up, but, then again, it only serves as a background to the action. And the action sequences are spectacular. From the crowded chase through city streets to the battles in the cold snowy lands, every sequence is a joy to watch. I'd also like to acknowledge the amount of detail put into each scene. During the chase through the streets of Turkey, you can actually hear pedestrians talking in Turkish and actually make out what they're saying.

Spriggan's art and animation also shine as well. There is a long sequence when Ominae is traveling through Turkey that you see many landscapes that look as if they were photographs. But they're not. I had to keep reminding myself that these backgrounds were actually paintings. The animation does an excellent job not just with the action, but also animating the small details you could only notice on a big screen. There is a scene where a giant crance crashes onto the ground and you can see all the workers fleeing in their own way from a large top shot.

The use of Noah's Arc to serve the plot for Spriggan may anger some archeologists and religious individuals. Spriggan, however, is suppose to be fiction and as a fictional action adventure it works. It's a great movie for those looking for a kick-butt action adventure film.

2D/CGI, 90 minutes, 2001

Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

2005-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

Rating: * 1/2

I took some consideration in whether or not I should review this movie or even consider it a movie. The Family Guy movie was written in three acts much like how the staff would write three episodes. Is this really a movie? I looked up the title on Amazon where it states the alternative title is Family Guy: The Movie. So, if it is a movie, I'll treat it like one.

The main story involves Stewie, the youngest of the Griffin family with the mannerisms of a bitter adult and aspirations of world domination. When one of Stewie's assassination attempts on his peers backfires on him, he experiences a vision of hell. Let's just say it involves a hotel room. Stewie then realizes he must reform his ways less he returns to hell. Later on, Stewie spots a man on television who bares similar physical features. Convinced that this man must be his real father, Stewie sets out a road trip with the wise cracking family dog, Brian. When Stewie finally tracks down this man, however, he discovers that it is him from the future. Stewie travels back in time with his future self only to be shocked that he ends up as a virgin working at a retail store. It then becomes Stewie's mission, I guess, to get his future self laid.

There are also numerous sub-plots that go nowhere such as Peter's own news segment, the family buying Tivo, and the parents teaching Chris and Meg about how to please the opposite sex. That's not to say they aren't entertaining or funny. Some of these bits have their moments, but that is all they are: bits. They are merely fragments and skits of humorous gags and jokes strung together. It works as the setup for a TV comedy, but not as a movie. The opening and closing bits of the film have the entire cast attending a premiere and a cast party. These bookend bits play with some elments of what these characters would act like out of character, but they mostly feel flat and too self-aware of the show.

Family Guy has always been a very random show with lots of cut-aways and the movie continues with this tradition. Sadly, the show has been around awhile and the gags are already starting to wear thin. Some of the cut-aways are humorous, but they come out of nowhere and sometimes don't fit. The same goes with the characters. One of the biggest laugh-out gags from the first season of Family Guy was the giant talking vat of Kool-Aid that busts through walls. In the opening premiere, we see Kool-Aid attending the premiere with Drew Barrymore. Drew comments on her relationship with Kool-Aid and makes a reference to the beverage turning her tongue colors. It hardly seems worth bringing in either of these two characters in for a quick laugh. And, of course, the same goes for other one-joke characters like the greased up deaf guy and an old man with a preference for young boys.

The movie's tagline states it is all-new, outrageous and uncensored. But don't let that uncensored tag fool you. The FCC still have their noose tightly wrapped around this production. Why? Because Fox later wants to split this movie up into episodes that can be viewable by network TV standards. The staff was only allowed to get away with showing people on toilets and a few curse words. I'm not saying the movie should be packed with sex and violence, but if you claim that a movie is outrageous and uncensored, you have a lot to live up to.

I will say that the movie ends on a memorable note. Peter gives a short talk on farting and lets off a few farts. It's pointless and crude, but it serves as a reminder for what the Family Guy fans came for in the first place.

2D, 88 minutes, 2005

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

2005-10-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Wallace and Gromit are one of the most charming and well-established animated duos of all time. They have appeared in the three shorts that were made between 1989 and 1996. Since then, Wallace and Gromit have become iconic characters of stop-motion animation since Gumby. Now, after spending almost a decade in hiding, Nick Park returns to animate his delightful pair in their first full-length theatrical feature.

Wallace is a crafty inventor with a refined taste for cheese. He lives with his silent dog, Gromit, who usually bails Wallace out of trouble and cleans up after his comical mishaps. The two run a business called Anti-Pesto, which specializes in providing security for vegetables. It sounds like a silly idea, but the people of this town take their gardening seriously. This is because the town holds a giant vegetable festival every year where the residents compete for the best vegetable. The town folk treat their large-sized veggies as if they were their children. In fact, an old woman hauls around her enormous pumpkin in a stroler and strokes it from time to time. These people value their garden creations, which is why Wallace and Gromit serves as the most important members of the town.

The duo is eventually called to clear out a swarm of bunnies from the estate of Lady Tottington, the host of the giant vegetable festival. Wallace wrangles all the bunnies up with the Bun-Vac, a device designed to suck bunnies straight out of the ground. When the duo's job is done, they take the furry creatures back to their house where they contain them. However, they are starting to take up too much space. Wallace decides that this is the perfect opportunity to test the Mind-o-Matic, an invention that will allow him to tinker with the thoughts of rabbits. But, as with most of Wallace's inventions, something goes awry and the experiment is cut short.

The next day, the town folk are scared out of their minds as evidence suggests that a giant rabbit is destroying Anti-Pesto security and destroying the one thing these people value more than their lives: their oversized and cherished veggies. Thus, our two main characters must put a stop to it's rampage before the festival. However, Wallace and Gromit are not alone in this chase as Lord Victor Quartermaine, a gun-nut who longs to be married to Lady Tottington, desires to seek and destroy this beast with his trusty firearm. Needless to say, Victor becomes Wallace's rival as they both have opposite methods in dealing with rabbits. Victor even has a disgruntled dog of his own so you can be sure to see Gromit getting in a scuffle with Victor's mutt.

The movie is very effective in delivering clever humor and the right energy to every scene. Many scenes involving the Were-Rabbit effectively give the sense of danger without the threat of violence. The film has a lot of heart in that Wallace never once considers poisoning or shooting rabbits, but chooses to capture them in a humane fashion. There are some sexual undertones mixed into the visual gags, but they will most likely fly over the heads of children. The jokes aren't that disgusting anyway. That doesn't mean that all the jokes talk down to kids either. There are rarely any parodies or topical humor in the film. In fact, most of the film's humor and development comes from Gromit's silent, but well-communicated, actions.

Curse of the Were-Rabbit was animated frame-by-frame with Plasticine clay and a tad of CGI for more complex scenes. The results are astounding. Every frame is full energy and brimming with life and it was all done with the same technique of claymation that has been used for years.

I guess what makes Wallace and Gromit so appealing is that they are both lovable and quirky. This is why the duo has become so popular over the years. Much like a fine bottle of wine, their shorts only get better with age. Curse of the Were-Rabbit is no exception as it will undoubtably become one of the greatest animated features of all time.

Clay-mation, 85 minutes, 2005

Robots

2005-10-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

One of my favorite aspects of any animated film are the visual elements. The concept of a world filled entirely with robots holds much promise. What do they eat? How do they get around? What kind of bathrooms do they have? How do they have children? Robots takes advantage of all of these elements.

The story centers around Rodney Copperbottom, a plucky bot with aspirations of becoming an inventor. He invents a device designed to help his dad with his job at a diner. The only problem is that it becomes scared easily. After getting cussed out by the boss, Rodney decides to head for Robot City to show his invention to Big Weld, the founder of the inventive Big Weld Industries. However, once Rodney arrives in the city, he is quickly taken advantage of by the street smart and very excentric Fender. Rodney escapes him among other peculiar fellows until they are reunited in the same car on the crosstown express.

But this ain't no plane, trane or automobile express. The crosstown express involves taking a ride a caged sphere through an elaborate course of tracks that reminds me of my old Hot Wheels toys. After that thrilling ride, Rodney finally arrives at Big Weld Industries. Growing up watching Big Weld on his TV show, Rodney had high hopes for presenting his ideas to Big Weld. The problem is that Big Weld is no longer in charge of the company. Instead, a greedy business man by the name of Ratchet is turning the company upside down. He plans to stop making spare parts for robots in order to force them into upgrading to a more sleek and shiny exterior. The business campaign isn't that different from how the media pushes people to feel bad about themselves to buy products. In fact, the tagline for the campaign is "Why be you, when you can be new?"

This corprate takeover can be seen as a parody of many different big businesses, but it actually reminded me the most of how much the animation industry has changed. When Rodney witnesses the big smiling gates of Big Weld Industries opening, his eyes are wide as the joyous the chorus music sounds his amazement. Then the guard slams the gates down and says he won't let him. I couldn't help but think of how Disney just shut down Burbank studios and how economically viable the company has become. I digress. Anyway, Ratchet is doing all this for his mother, Madame Gasket, who runs the hell-like chop shop in the deepest pit of the city. Their plan is to get rid out of all the outmoded robots, sell upgrades like crazy and take over both the industry and the city.

Not if Rodney can help it. Once the word is out on the street that no more spare parts are being sold, Rodney decides to fix all the bots pro-bono. But when the parts are becoming scares, he realizes he must find Big Weld. He is aided by Cappy, a female executive at Big Weld Industries who despises Ratchet as much as Rodney. They discover him in his workshop, toiling away at making elaborate domino rows. After some convincing, Big Weld decides to bust back into the business. Of course, Ratchet won't allow this. This results in a big chase sequence through Robot City and an eventual big battle between the outmoded robots and the minions of Madame Gasket.

But none of it is gruesome or violent. Instead, it is another chance for many visual elements with references to westerns, monster trucks, wrestling, Braveheart, The Matrix and even Britney Spears. I can't even begin to count how many great gags like these that are in the film. My favorite would have to be a scene where Aunt Fanny lets out a giant explusion of gas that it causes a street lamp to faint and the next morning a chalk outline of the body is placed where the lamp once was.

Of course, such a wonderous world would not be complete without some wonderful animation. The colors of the robots are bright and clever. Rodney's casing cover is a mixture of both his mom and dad's color pallete. Robot City is very impressive in animation. It is hard to believe in that one scene where Rodney gets a large of glimpse of Robot City that it isn't a matte painting. Every other element of the 3D animation works perfectly. The materials, lighting and animation are all beautiful.

There are some flaws in the film in terms of writing. We really don't get to know most of the characters that well and we really can't see the developing relationship between Rodney and Cappy. Now, usually I can't stand films that rely entirely on the visuals that are accompanied by a lackluster script. But there is enough humor, visual elements, eye-candy and energy in this movie to make it stand well on those reasons alone. Overall, Robots is a very creative and extremely fun film for all ages.

3D, 91 minutes, 2005

Corpse Bride

2005-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * *

With a title like Corpse Bride and a director like Tim Burton, I expected one of two films. Either this was going to be a macabre horror drowned in dark visuals or an overly-whimsical tale too wrapped up in it's own imagery. I was delightfully surprised to see that Corpse Bride was niether of these.

The story centers around Victor, the son of a rich family, who has been arranged to marry Victoria, the daughter of a less rich family. While Victor does show a love interest in Victoria, he is still very nervous about getting married. So nervous, in fact, that he fumbles at the rehersal. He retreats to the woods of a graveyard where he feels much more comfortable practicing his vows amongst tree stumps and branches. While delivering his final lines, he mistakes a dead finger for a branch and place the ring upon it. Thus, the corpse bride, Emily, rises from the ground and accepts Victor's vows. Victor is later brought to the underground land of the dead. Although frightened at first, Victor soon takes a liking to Emily and the land of the dead itself.

And why wouldn't he? The land of the living is dull and boring with washed out grays while the land of dead is brimming with energy and color. All the bizzare creatures who live there are more cheerful than scary. There plenty of delightful dead parodies on Napoleon, the Kaiser and a maggot who resembles Peter Lorre. It's not like Victor is alone there either when he is reunited with his departed dog, Scraps. However, Victor soon realizes that all is not well in the land of the living. Victoria is being wedded off instead to Barkis Bittern, a Victorian villain who wants to bleed family dry. Victor must choose which woman to marry and the choice is not easy.

It's not easy because Emily is actually a very likable character despite her being a corpse. She is a very sympathetic character who just wants to take another whack at marriage, as she was betrayed at her last one. And seeing as how her marriage to Victor was an accident, her feelings are hurt easily. Victoria's feelings are hurt as well when she witnesses Victor with Emily. But this is not a film filled with revenge or horror. Emily and Victoria never get into a cat-fight nor does the notion of killing each other ever cross their minds. These are good, although shy and betrayed, people involved in a complicated love-triangle.

In addition to being a love story, Corpse Bride also has a few musical numbers that are quite entertaining. The most memorable being a jazzy rendition of a group of skeletons singing the origin of the corpse bride. It was really quite fun to see these skeletons use different bones to form musical instruments. But don't be mistaken. It is not done to be creepy or horrific. The dead in the Corpse Bride are so cheerful and fun they don't seem to pose any threat. In a scene where the dead rise to the land of the living, their arrival is met as more of a reunion.

Corpse Bride was animated using stop-motion animation in which plastic models are assembled and moved frame by frame. This technique really shines in capturing the most subtle movements of the characters. Emily's long bridal dress, in particular, flows beautifully. It's elements like these that prove stop-motion animation is not dead. In fact, there is a tribute to Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts) as a piano in one scene is labeled a Harryhausen.

While I wouldn't consider the film an epic, Corpse Bride is definitely an entertaining and sweet film. Most animated films try too hard to achieve this with cliche characters and overly bright colors. Tim Burton presents the exact opposite proving that plot, style and character can make any film touching and fun. Even something as macabre from the mind of Tim Burton.

Stop-motion, 75 minutes, 2005

The Iron Giant

2005-09-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * *

Have you ever watched a movie with such an involving story that you lose track of everything else? Very few movies are capable of this element. The Iron Giant not only pulls this off, but also proves you don't need cute characters or musical numbers to get this element out of an animated film.

The Iron Giant begins with the title character making a crash landing on earth in the year 1957. Sputnik has just been launched into orbit and people in America are feeling very uneasy. The giant is discovered in the woods by Hogarth Hughes, your average kid who stays up late reading comic books and having Twinkie sandwiches for dinner. Hogarth happens upon the metal monster being electrecuted by a power station. At first, Hogarth is scared to death of the giant and flees. However, when he looks back to see the beast in pain from being filled with volts, he quickly shuts down the station in order to save him. Hogarth is intrigued, but still very much afraid. When he tells his mother about this she, of course, doesn't believe a word of it.

The locals, on the other hand, believe in it more as they call in Kent Mansley, a government agent with a kill-what-you-don't-understand attitude. Kent eventually nails Hogarth as a key suspect and spends his time trying to get the information out of him. Meanwhile, Hogarth befriends the giant and quickly begins teaching him about everything on earth from rocks to Superman. Realizing that Kent could destroy the giant, Hogarth hides him at a junk yard run by Dean McCoppin, an artist/junk dealer who Hogarth considers very cool. While Hogarth and Kent play a game of cat-and-mouse, the giant contemplates death, destruction and weapons. The giant states at one point that he is not a gun, only to discover later in the movie that he can activate loads of sci-fi weaponry as a defense mechanism. This does not bode well for when the army shows up. This boils down to a very meaningful message that works well with the Cold War background.

What I love the most about The Iron Giant is how the most subtle and simple scenes can say so much. The most touching moment being a scene where the giant and Hogarth spot a deer in the woods. Hogarth tells him to be very quiet and the giant gently lets down his finger for the deer to sniff. This elegant scene turns tragic when the deer rushes off and a gunshot is heard. The giant discovers the deer's body and Hogarth explains that the deer is dead. The giant's reaction and his confusion about death is done with such sensitivity and heart. This leads into another great scene where Hogarth explains souls to the giant as they look up at the stars.

As I stated previously, the movie takes place in 1957 America and it does a great job of encorporating the era. There is the mention of Sputnik, the Cold War and such cooky restraunts as Cosmo Burger, but the real kick is a cartoon parody of the classic school film "Duck and Cover". It was hilarious seeing a child hide under a desk and the explosion destroying everything but the desk. This pays off later when Duck and Cover is suggested in a dangerous situation and a general points out how pointless it is.

The Iron Giant was directed by Brad Bird who use to work on The Simpsons and King of the Hill. If anything can be said from his filmography, it is that he has gathered all the skills and knowledge he gained in animation to make create something beautiful and compelling of his own accord. His directing abilites are at top notch with this film with some amazing shots and perfect timing. When you're doing animation, both those elements are crucial if you want a convincing story. The animation is very impressive as well blending traditional 2D with CGI. The giant himself is completely computer generated, but he blends in so well with the enviornment that you hardly notice. The character designs for the humans are very unique as well. In fact, you can actually see shades of the characters from The Incredibles, another animated film from Brad Bird.

There have been many attempts over the years for animators and directors to make anti-Disney features that break away from their conventions and have a say in how animation should be done. Out of all of them, The Iron Giant is the best with it's vivid writing, compelling characters and an important moral. More importantly, it's a movie with a straight story and a lot of heart.

2D/CGI, 86 minutes, 1999

Cowboy Bebop The Movie

2005-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Rating: * *

Cowboy Bebop has always been one of my favorite anime TV series. The mixture of different film elements and endless homages to such memorable movies in entertainment history is what drew me into the series. It was not just another one-note anime. So why did I feel like I was watching a totally different movie?

The story involves Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine and Radical Edward trying to catch a bounty by the name of Vincient. Vincient was a test soldier who cannot die, for some unexplained reason, and plans to unleash a harmful chemical over an entire city on Mars. While tracking him down, Spike runs across Electra, a cop who also happens to still have feelings for her ex, Vincient. I can't see what she finds so attractive about Vincient other than his looks. He is an evil and unforgiving villain who just wants to reak terrorism on a city for no reason other than the fact he has already been infected.

I always had a feeling that women were attracted to jerks, but terrorists? You'd think with a villain who people feel sorry for there would be some redeeming quality. But, no, there aren't any. We only see Vincient making dirty deals, killing people with a smile and reflecting on his dark soldier days with glee. This sounds like he would make an ideal villain, but he is just too full of himself to enjoy him on that level.

The movie is filled with many action and chase sequences, but with a running time at two hours, it chugs along at a sluggish pace. Most of the scenes are entertaining, but one in particular didn't sit right with me. There is a scene where Spike tracks down Vincient to a monorail in motion. They shoot at each other, pull some kung-fu, nothing too fantastic. However, during the end of the battle is where things turn unrealistic. Vincient shoots Spike through the chest, tosses him into the river and, as a grand finale, he makes a gernade go off in his hand causing an explosion in the monorail. And they both live. How is that even possible? I've seen a lot of movies where the action goes way over-the-top, but usually when a gernade goes off in someone's hand, they either die or at least get a chunk of their arm blown off. Neither of these happened to Vincient.

Putting that pesky and bothersome scene aside, there is some pretty impressive direction with lots of interesting shots. There are some really great point-of-view and floor shots in a creepy scene where Faye confronts Vincient in a poor hotel room. The opening scene in which Spike and Jet take a down a couple of thugs in a convenient store has some interesting shots as well. This goes the same for most of the action scenes. During a chase scene through the air, there is a great point-of-view from Spike's cockpit as we see him take a nosedive, narrowly avoiding building structures. The music also does a terrific job giving the correct tone to each scene.

Sadly, most of the well-shot scenes in the movie are unnecessary and even go back to how unbelievable the action is. Most of the action feels tacked on. Spike has to make it back to the city in time, Spike runs into cops on the way, chase follows. The police stage an elaborate SWAT investigation of the water plant to find a bomb, bomb is a dud, move back to the original plot. The time that isn't spent on action is spent on the crew slowly finding clues from Vincient's riddle-like messages. Of course, the cops can't figure out the simple message, but the bounty hunting crew are able to deciver it quickly. They must not have riddles in the future because even a fifth grader could figure out that message.

And what bothered me the most was that the greatest shot in the whole film is also the most unbelievable. After Vincient starts an opening conflict, he takes a jump off a highway. The camera slowly follows him, turns down and reveals nothing. Apparently, Vincient not only has the ability to be immune to explosions, but he can also fly and turn invisible. I guess that explains how he escaped the explosion as well.

This movie makes me angry, not because I hate it, but because it is so well-shot and well-animated that it is such a shame the action and the plot cannot be equally as effective. I love action, to a point, but this just goes too over-the-top. The plot, well, it's an action movie plot so I didn't expect much anyway. But I guess the one element I disliked the most about this film is Vincient. I didn't like him as a character, couldn't understand how anyone felt sympathy for him, and I hated the fact that he pulled inhuman stunts off camera.

2D/CGI, 120 minutes, 2001

Fire and Ice

2005-09-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * *

The pioneer of mature animation Ralph Bakshi collaborates with legendary illustrator Frank Frazetta to create a lavish animation of sword-and-sorcery. While these two may seem to be in different areas of work, they both love fantasy. Fire and Ice is the result of their love for the genre as it has Bakshi and Frazetta all the way through.

Fire and Ice takes place in a land that is ruled by two kingdoms with one composed of fire and the other of ice. It is a unique and bizzare world populated with thick forests containing giant man-eating lizzards, blood-thirsty wolves and other nasty creepy-crawlies. The ice kingdom is ruled by Nekron, a powerful sorcerer. When the fire king's daughter Teegra is kidnapped by subhuman soldiers from Nekron, she is rescued by Lorn, a survivor from a previous battle. Along the way they encounter bizzare creatures and more subhumans as they slowly fall in love. When they are split up, Lorn meets Darkwolf (a character based off a Frazetta painting called "Death Dealer"). Darkwolf aids Lorn in rescuing Teegra while at the same time trying to destroy Nekron.

The film is very action oriented with not a lot of dialogue and plenty of fight scenes. Just about every scene is followed by Lorn or Teegra getting into some danger. Each action sequence, though, still manages to be entertaining. The dialogue, however, is a bit weak. Maybe because there isn't much of it or the fact that most of it is just used to lead from one action scene to another. Although, when you've already got a film with good story and beautiful scenery, dialogue is a minor gripe. As a matter of fact, I believe the film could have worked with no dialogue at all and just relied on the body language of the characters. But I guess you need something to seperate the humans from the subhumans.

While Bakshi's previous animated films that used rotoscoping were very experimental such as Lord of the Rings and Wizards, Fire and Ice is proof that Bakshi can make rotoscoping work. The animation is fluid as most rotoscoped animation is, but the detail on the characters are beautiful. No sillouttes here. The whole human figure is present with every character. Where the rotoscoping shines the most is in the action sequences in which many soldiers are either shot, stabbed or eaten. In fact, just about every scene of the animation is terrific to look at. Frank Frazetta designed the costumes for the characters and it is all pretty clad. Lorn runs around in nothing but loincloth and Teegra wears a skimpy bikini. Although I guess it is fitting since they are mostly involved in action sequences. You gotta have agility when dealing with those crafty subhumans.

Fire and Ice has every element that makes a fantasy great. A strong hero, a beautiful damsel in distress, a gruff warrior of the land and an evil sorcerer villian. All of these characters portrayed in an astonishing, whimsical world make for an entertaining fantasy advenutre of stunning animation.

2D/Rotoscope, 81 minutes, 1983

Steamboy

2005-08-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * 1/2

Legendary animation director Katsuhiro Otomo (AKIRA) turns 19th Century Europe into a science fiction battlefield with Steamboy. Now, after seeing much of Otomo's work on AKIRA, Robot Carnival and Roujin Z, I came to the conclusion that Otomo specializes in making dissaster endings. They are not dissasterous as in terrible, but they usually end up with buildings being destroyed, plenty of explosions and a few deaths. Realizing this, I felt confident about going into see Steamboy. Sadly, I was let down.

The film is centered around the Steam family. The young Ray Steam has recieved a steam ball, a ball that can generate unlimited energy, from his grandfather, Lord Steam. However, once Ray gets his hands on the ball, sinister men show up to steal it away from him. Ray makes his escape on a type of spinning gyro while being chased by an off-rail train. The chase leads to Ray being squished between two trains, until one of the passengers stops the train. Ray boards the train and is greeted by two British men who appear interested in the steam ball as well. A few seconds later, the train is attacked by a zeppelin (yes, a zeppelin) and Ray is captured.

He is brought to the O'Hara Foundation where Ray's father, Eddie Steam, has gone mad by spending O'Hara's money to create a Steam Castle. Believe me, this only the beginning of tons of pointless devices powered by Steam. While staying in the Steam Castle, Ray meets Scarlett O'Hara, a snooty rich girl. The two bicker and, of course, start to fall in love with each other. Later on, Ray discovers that his grandfather, Lord Steam, is being held captive inside the castle for trying to sabotage the Steam Castle. Ray lets him go and is now conflicted with who to trust. Soon, the British army attacks the Steam Castle and the O'Hara uses this chance to exhibit their steam-powered weaponry. Lots of ridiculous things such as steam-powered armorded suits, steam-powered diving suits and (this one is the most ridiculous of them all) steam-powered jet gliders with buzzsaws.

There are a lot of movies out there that should have been cut for length and Steamboy is one of them. The third act last 20 minutes of the film is spent on Ray and Lord trying to stop the Steam Castle from exploding. It just drags on and on and on until every drop of tension has been sucked dry and you just don't care anymore. There is even a false ending at one point that is more irritating than surprising. The action sequences aren't that exciting either. They are, however, very loud. Not to mention all the steam-powered weaponry is just too over-the-top and clunky. There is a scene where one of the steam-powered diving suit marines is walking up some stairs, slips on a step and goes clanging all the way to the bottom. Maybe they were still beta testing that one.

Katsuhiro Otomo spent ten year animating Steamboy and it is such a shame that he spent all that hard work on flawed story. The animation brilliantly combines CG with cel-animation and just about every scene of the movie looks spectacular. Although the colors are washed out to reflect the period, it works well enough to hold it's own. The enviornments of Manchester and London look gorgeous especially during a fireworks displays. Every element in the first act of this film looks so promising that it pains me to see the plot dissappear in the third act.

With a decade worth of animation and a story set in an inventive time in history, Steamboy promises a lot, but never delivers. It may serve well as a mindless over-the-top action flick, but not as an intriguing science fiction movie. I hope that Otomo finds some way to bounce back and that he doesn't consider a sequel.

2D/CGI, 126 minutes, 2005

Castle of Cagliostro

2005-08-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * *

Japanese animation in the last couple of years has become a genre, an art form and a cliche. Personally, I'm not a huge fan and happen to find most anime fans a little more than erratic be around. However, if anyone ever questions the animation quality that Japan can produce, I always refer back to Castle of Cagliostro. Although based on a TV series and a comic book (based off an old novel), Castle of Cagliostro is a marvel of Japanese animation. The movie went from script to screen in just over a year and the quality of animation for such a timeframe is astonishing.

The story is a pretty straight forward action adventure. Lupin and Jigen, two international thieves, discover counterfeit money when they rip off a casino and set out to find the counterfeiters. The trail leads to the small nation of Cagliostro where Lupin runs across a beautiful woman named Clarisse in a car chase. Clarisse runs off after being rescued by Lupin, but leaves him a ring which rings deja vu as he and Jigen venture further into the country. They soon discover that the country of Cagliostro is run by none other than Count Cagliostro who lives in a towering castle surrounded by a lake.

It doesn't take long to realize there is a connection between the counterfeiting operation and the ring as Lupin and Jigen are attacked by Cagliostro's assassins in the night. The movie takes off from this point as other amusing character join in such as Goemon ,the loner samurai thief, Fujiko, Lupin's old flame of a thief, and Zenigata, the bumbling cop. Once inside the castle, Lupin's goal becomes very clear at this point. He must safe Clarisse, defeat Cagliostro, foil the counterfeiting scheme and solve the mystery of the ring.

The characters are all fun and unique. Lupin's charming personality mixed with his quirky actions make him appear as James Bond meets Buster Keaton meets Groucho Marx. Lupin has often been portrayed as the snickering lecherous thief, but here is played more as a thief with a lot of heart. Jigen's slick wit and love of guns make him the perfect action hero. Goemon, although played more as a token samurai, also manages to get in some witty remarks. Fujiko plays a spy for the first half of the movie, than a gun-toting thief and than a TV reporter. Her constant switching of sides and professions makes her the most unpredictable character.

Zenigata is, of course, the bumbling cop, but dumbfounded as you may think. Sure, he falls into more traps than Lupin and is underminded by his superiors, but he isn't afraid to take charge in times of action. When Fujiko tips off Zenigata about what has been going on in the castle, Zenigata charges in with a large force. Count Cagliostro is the antagonist, but he is just human enough for you take him seriously. Clarisse, despite being knocked out and captured a few times, is a very strong damsel in distress who shows compassion and kindness to everyone she meets.

This is one excellent madcap adventure film. The plot progresses at a perfect pace with no lag in the story, but still finding the right moments for action sequences. The action ranges from believable to cartoony. The opening car chase features Lupin drive a car through oncoming traffic, a dynamite explosion and defy gravity by driving sideways up a steep hill. Lupin defies gravity again in another scene where he makes a mad dash off two castle towers and safetly clings to the tallest tower. Is it logically possible? Probably not. Is it entertaining? Of course. Probably the most fantastic fight scene in the whole movie would have to be the interior clock tower scene in which Lupin fights Cagliostro fight through a maze of rotating and spinning gears. The timing and speed of all those gears with the two fighters battling one another is just a wonder of 2D animation.

Did I forget to mention that Castle of Cagliostro contains no sex, nudity, extreme violence or crude jokes? In today's cinema, it's hard to find an action adventure film WITHOUT any of that content. Here is a film in that genre (brilliantly animated no less) and uses none of that to be an entertaining flick. Overall, Castle of Cagliostro is a great movie that is humorous, charming, exciting and action-packed. But, most importantly, it's a lot of fun.

2D, 100 minutes, 1980

Triplets of Belleville

2005-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

There have been too many animated films released that have the same over-the-top acting. Although I don't mind it much in most animation, the excentric celebrities voices begin to become either tiresome or grate on your nerves. Triplets of Belleville is the perfect film to take a break from all the animation out there with sugar-coated dialogue that talks down to children. Why? Because there isn't much of any dialogue.

The most dialogue we ever hear out of the film are the lyrics of the singing Triplets which opens the movie. Right from the start, you can tell you're in for one odd story with an exaggerated design. The opening concert of the Triplets features characters that are either loose and rubbery or so fat they occupy entire rooms. Once settled into enviornment, the film quickly whips away to the main story.

A young boy named Champion is now living with his grandmother in Paris with a dog named Bruno. After discovering Champion's interest in biking, his grandmother pushes him hard enough to enter the Tour de France. She pushes him so hard that she times his meals and massages his muscles with an eggbeater. This makes her sound like an evil grandmother, but she is a quite passive woman and her grandson is willing to proceed with this training. Meanwhile, Bruno becomes increasinly fat as his new hobby becomes barking at the train that comes by the window. Ever since his tail was run over by a toy train as a pup, Bruno has held a grudge against these means of transportation and it serves for some entertaining scenes.

During the Tour de France, Champion is kidnapped by the French mafia and hauled off to New York for gambling. It is now up to Champion's grandmother and Bruno to save the boy. They arrive in a highly exaggerated version of the big apple. Skyscrapers stretch all the way to stars and all the citizens are as large as whales. Grandma, of course, cannot rescue her son alone. Enter the Triplets. Three popular singers from the old days now living in a poor apartment building feeding off frogs fished out of the lake, via hand gernade. If you think their dinner odd, wait until you see their musical act as they use common household objects as instruments. Together, they sleuth their way around town trying to track down Champion. Their trail eventually leads them to a mafia hideout for gambling on cyclist. An action packed chase follow.

This is definetely a film with originality and a style all it's own. Sylvain Chomet has designed a uniquely kooky world filled with oddball characters. What excatly seperates Chomet's film from let's say a Tim Burton movie? Chomet's world is not dark nor is it being weird for the sake of weird. Everything in the film is an exaggeration. The citizens of New York are designed as round and plump characters based on the fact that America is a nation of obese people. Champion is as skinny as a toothpick as most cyclists are pretty skinny. Bruno becomes fat and lazy as he grows old and eats too much. You're more likely to think "that dog is awfully fat" than "that dog has a bizzare design".

How could a film with no dialogue be entertaining? A more important question is how could it not be entertaining. This is a film where actions speak louder than words. For instance, in a scene where one of the Triplets knocks out a mafia gangster with a frying pan, we don't need to hear her make some witty remark. It's just good slapstick humor that anyone can snicker at. There is some dialogue in the film and most of it is French, but that shouldn't matter. The physical humor of the film needs no translation at all. Of course, when you have an animated film that has no dialogue, you must rely on the visual aspects. The animation itself works fairly well. The 2D animation looks smooth and brings a warm quality to the scenes. There is some 3D cel-shading used in scenes of the Tour de France, the wavy ocean and the car chase. They don't distract too much from the 2D and that is how it should be. I commend this film for not going over-the-top with special effects.

Most animated films we have now try too hard to gain the love and interest of the audience. Triplets of Belleville is a film that simply doesn't care if you love it or not. The movie is what it wants to be and it happens to be very good at it. Triplets is rated PG-13 for some violence, sensuality and crude humor. However, with all the other candy-coated disposable shlock that kids are exposed to today, I think this film would be great for the tween and family audiences. At any rate, Triplets of Belleville is a unique, entertaining and creatively concieved film.

2D/3D Cel-Shading, 81 minutes, 2003

End of Evangelion

2005-08-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * 1/2

Neon Genesis Evangelion was a popular Japanese anime series that ran for 26 episodes, but fans of the show did not respond well to the last two episodes. The episodes in question used minimal animation to communicate the psychology of the characters into a mental ending. As a result, director Hideaki Anno decided to redo episodes 25 and 26 in the form of a theatrical feature.

For those who have not seen the TV series, let me bring you up to speed. An underground organization called NERV is using organic robots called Evangelions to do battle with the supernatural beings known as Angels. The Evangelions are piloted by three teenagers named Shinji, Auska and Rei. Shinji, after killing a close friend who turned out to be an Angel, is currently in a depression. Auska is in a intensive care after the last battle. Rei is currently being used as a spiritual and disposable tool of NERV. Misato, the guardian of Shinji, is starting to lose faith and becoming angry with Shinji's attitude. Gendo, Shinji's father and leader of NERV, is cooking up something that will change humanity in the basement of NERV with Rei.

The story picks up from there with NERV being attacked by U.N. forces now armed with nine Evangelions at their disposal. Misato is hauling around a moping Shinji while the employees of NERV are ruthlessly gunned down. Auska quickly comes to her senses when put into her Evangelion and attacks the U.N. military. Rei and Gendo are currently trying to revive a crucified Angel located in the basement named Lilith. Auska fails in her attack, Lilith rises from the ground and Shinji forces himself into his Evangelion to fight the Lilith. At this point, everything literally falls apart with many symbolic images, dream sequences, sensory overloads and discussions of uncomfortable situations. This all leads up the to feature quality and visually stunning destruction of mankind.

How could this possibly be considered two episodes of a TV series? Apparently, the director thinks so and I think that is the movie's biggest flaw. Even with such brilliant writing, direction and feature quality animation, director Hideaki Anno still feels the need to include title cards and closing credits to signal when "episode 25" has ended and "episode 26" begins. Putting those concerns aside, the film has some other flaws. In the scene where Lilith rises to the sky, there are many symbolic images that appear in the sky...for no reason. Yes, I understand the meaning behind the many symbols, but WHY do they show up? The only purpose these images serve is to fill the sky, act as a reference and confuse. They are pretty to look at, but I just wish they did more.

However, there is some symbolism in the film that works with the scene and isn't painfully obvious. Take for instance a staged scene of Shinji's childhood with visual elements relating to the womb and the desire to create and destroy. There is also some live-action footage of everyday life in Japan and an empty movie theater that works well as a reflection on life. Some of the scenes from Shinji's subconcious reveal him coming to terms with uncomfotable subjects. This includes Misato's sex life and how Shinji ejaculated on Auska in a coma. Scenes like these, despite being unbearable, are interesting to see how they play out and how Shinji responds to them.

And, yet, all these elements never really seem to connect. Don't get me wrong, though, they all work on their own level. It just seems like all these different emotions, feelings and understandings are disjointed into a mess of visual interpretation. Maybe this was done intentionally to act on a subconcious level or maybe it was done to overload the audience with information until they were confused enough into calling this movie an acid trip. I am not sure.

One element I have no complaint on is the animation. From the cold opening of the lake to the last apocalyptic enviornment, it's all top quality. Some of the best animation is in Auska's action sequence when she battles the U.N. military. Scenes such as Auska's Evangelion using a battleship as a shield and clashing metal weapons with the enemy Evas really gives a sense of scale and weight. In terms of being an apocalyptic movie, the director is able to perfectly convey that uneasy feeling of everything coming to an end. In fact, the scenes where the U.N. soldiers are slaughtering NERV employees are more horrific than the apocalypse.

End of Evangelion is a movie that could've and should've been able to stand on it's own. Sadly, due to specific direction and writing, it remains an interesting movie trapped in the TV-based-movie genre. I don't regret seeing the film as it makes for some great subjects to talk about, but I can't quite recommend it because of the questionable symbolism, arrangement of subject matter and the fact that it is not a stand-alone movie. Fans and viewers of the TV series praise End of Evangelion as it is most certainly an eye-opener. Those who have not seen the show will view this film as a confusing acid trip of psychology, philosophy and religion.

2D/Live-action, 97 minutes, 1997

The Batman Superman Movie (World's Finest)

2005-07-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * *

Among the many superheroes of the DC comic universe, two of them remain the most familiar as they have stood the test of time. Superman (Clark Kent) has always been seen as the optimistic, witty and powerful protector of Metropolis. Batman (Bruce Wayne) has always been seen as the tragic, business-oriented and technical dark knight of Gotham City. These two couldn't be more opposite. One can only imagine what would happen if you put these two together and that is what makes *The Batman Superman Movie (World's Finest) such an entertaining flick.

Bruce Wayne (voiced by Kevin Conroy) makes a trip to Metropolis to have Wayne Industries work with Lex Corp, owned by Superman's main villain Lex Luthor (Voiced by Clancy Brown). At the same time, the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamil) has stolen a Kryptonite artifact and makes a bargain with Lex Luthor to help him kill Superman with it. Now, this is mearly the setup for the action. The rest of the film revolves around the chemistry of the characters. When the two heroes first meet on the battlefield, they aren't very happy to see each other. In fact, the first thing Superman does when he spots Batman is deliver a punch. After a quick fight between the two, they soon discover each other's identities. This only infuriates Clark Kent (voiced by Tim Daily) even more as Bruce is currently dating Superman's love interest, Lois Lane (voiced by Dana Delany). There is a very awkward scene when Bruce comes to visit Clark's workplace the morning after they both know the truth about their identities. Later on, Lois herself discovers the identity of Batman and she starts to question her relationship with Bruce. This awkward love-triangle between Lois, Superman and Bruce Wayne and the partnership of the two heroes make for interesting scenes and witty dialogue.

The Joker and Lex Luthor on the other hand are not on the same level and this leads to some heated fights between the two. Lex is more of a serious tycoon and business man while the Joker is just plain insane. Even Mercy Graves and Harley Quinn, the two sidekicks of each villian, get into a cat fight. It is just too bad we couldn't see these two adversaries have a regular conversation together instead of spending all their time talking about how to get rid of Superman and Batman. There could have been a lot of fun to be had with those scenes. Anyway, Lex constantly mocks the Joker for not being able to take out a mere mortal like Batman. This leads to a grand finale in which the Joker decides to hijack one of Lex Corp's military ships to destroy everything Lex ever owned, equalling out to be half of Metropolis. There is also a sub-plot with Bruce and Lex working on robots for the government, which only serves as fodder for some more action sequences.

There is certainly a lot of action and a ton of gun play for this movie. Terrorists take over air force one, a bunch of mobsters try to kill the Joker, the henchmen of the Joker pistol whip Bruce Wayne off a roof and Mercy Graves responds to Joker's failings with a machine gun. Fans of the Joker will be dissapointed as we really don't get to see much of his quirky gadgets. Oh sure, there is the gas venting jack-in-the-box and grenade marbles, but the acid shooting flower has been done. The animation itself is pretty well done, equal to the same quality seen in the Superman animated series. The character designs may be a little hard for Batman fans to get use to with Commissioner Gordon looking much thinner and the Joker having black eyes. Although this was made as part of the Superman series, keep in mind that these are the same designs from The New Adventures of Batman. There is one scene in particular where Luthor starts yelling at the Joker and his face starts becoming larger than his head.

Overall, this a very entertaining crossover that takes advantage of the potential chemistry. The action is terrific, the dialogue great, the story is solid and, yes, you still get to see these superheroes do what they do best. Superman punches people out, uses laser vision and utilizes his physical strength to smash things. Batman shoots grappling hooks, uses his clever devices and plays detective. It is still refreshing though to see a crossover film where the personalities of these two protagonists clash rather than just being "Batman and Superman versus Lex Luthor and The Joker".

* - This movie was originally the three-part arc of "The New Adventures of Batman" and "Superman The Animated Series" called World's Finest.

2D, 61 minutes, 1997

Wizards

2005-07-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Whether you like it or not, the family film crowd is the dominating genre of animation. After witnessing Ralph Bakshi's adult animation such as Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic, one would never think that he would conform his ways and make an animated family feature. However, Bakshi prooves that you don't have to compromise in style or storytelling to appeal to a younger audience.

Wizards is the story of a post-apocalyptic world where magic has once again returned to Earth. Fairies, elves and wizards now populate the Earth as well as hideous mutants deformed from atomic war. Two brothers named Avatar and Blackwolf now rule different parts of the Earth. Avatar rules the magical and peacful land of Montagar. Blackwolf rules over the cold and dirty province of Scortch. While Avatar spends his days getting old and drunk, Blackwolf is digging up old technology to strengthen his army. Inspired by Nazi and war propaganda, his armies begins to march forward against Montagar. So, Avatar sets out with Elinore, a future queen and fairy in training, Weehawk, a couragous elf warrior, and Peace, an enemy android converted by Avatar, on an adventure to destroy the land of Scortch.

Much like Lord of the Rings, Bakshi employs rotoscoping once again, but this time he uses it soley for the large battle sequences. There is also some live-action footage of the Nazis that Blackwolf plays in the sky during battle. Surprisingly, the contrasting styles of the rotoscoping actually works in the battle sequences as they intersect perfectly with the traditional animation. The world of Wizards is far from being you're average fantasy. Montagar looks like a typical peacful village while Scortch looks like something out of MC Escher. The music is also very whimsical with a beautiful synthesized score by Andrew Belling. Aside from the world being populated with elves, fairies, wizards, goblins and ogres, there are also android assassins, religious old coots and bumbling pig-like soldiers. The soldiers in particular were hilarious to watch (one of which being voiced by Bakshi himself). The most memorable scene being when one of them makes a speech of revenge over the death of his comrade, Fritz. Fritz gets up and states he is okay and his buddy is angry that he won't be able to become an avenging hero, only to accidentally shoot Fritz and go off on his speech again.

Even in a family film, Bakshi is still able to interpret how he views certain issues. The story itself is a battle between magic and technology. There is also a lot of interpretation of World War 2 with the rotoscoped stock footage and various visual elements. For instance, there is a scene in Blackwolf's chamber where an evil pet eats a hanging pig with a Jewish star on the pig's backside. Not to mention that Blackwolf tries to imitate the acts of Hitler. All the characters in the film work. Avatar is definitely a likable character. His appearence suggests he is a wise old man, but he is really a drunk old man who slurs his speech, has little motivation and is a pretty laid back kind of guy. Elinore and Weehawk both seem like token characters of a fantasy film, but they work well in their own respects. The one character we really don't get into is Peace. He is a pretty cool looking character, but we really don't get to see him do or say much of anything. I guess he is the eye-candy of the film since he is on the cover.

Given it's PG rating, Wizards is a very truthful film. There is some violence, some blood and even Elinore's nipples poke through her attire. It's really up to the parents to decide if this is a suitable film suitable for their children, but I like the fact that Wizards is not a film that sugarcoats it's story for a PG audiance. The film also has a lot to say about getting older, falling in love, the dangers of technology and the results of war. For what it's worth, Wizards is an entertaining and whimsical fantasy.

2D/Rotoscope/Live-Action, 80 minutes, 1977

Appleseed

2005-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * *

3D animation has always been a tricky medium because it not only takes a lot of money, but also a lot of time. However, if there is one thing I've learned about Japan, it's that they can produce animation quickly and cost-effectively. It has always worked with their 2D TV series and theatrical features. Appleseed is, however, a prime example of how cutting corners can have a big effect on how theatrical animation will turn out.

The story is pretty much your standard sci-fi/action film. Deunan Knute is a female soldier who fights in a wasteland on earth. She is then captured and brought to the last city on earth called Olympus where she meets her old boyfriend, Briareos, who is now a robot. The city is populated with humans and Bioroids, which are pretty much fail-safe androids that don't feel anger. We get to see a couple of fights, most of them using too much slow motion, and see some flashbacks from Knute's past. This all leads to a large battle in the city where a bunch of large fortresses march forward to destroy humanity. The story sounds okay, but there is too much mello drama and none of it is believable. There are some really cheesy scenes like where a female Bioroid asks what love is. Also, there is way too much dialogue spent on explaining the world, the history of Knute's family and what the Bioroids are used for. Okay, we know all the facts about this world, so why should we care about it. This is why I loved Ghost in the Shell because it didn't waste time explaining every aspect of the world and just dove right into it.

Appleseed's animation uses a process of 3D modeling for the characters that many call toon-blender or cel-shading. This basically means that all the characters have the same color and shading as if it were painted on a cel. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea. The only problem is that cel-shaded characters can only work well in a cel-shaded enviornment. In Appleseed, the objects, locations and backgrounds look better than the characters do. Since the characters already have been colored and shaded, they cannot have proper lighting or color for each scene. The character colors will clash way too much with locations. Another problem is the hair. There is a scene that takes place outside where it is raining and windy. None of the characters in that scene appear to be wet and neither does their hair. Instead we just have a little outline around all the characters to assure you that rain is falling on them.

However, there are some really beautiful scenes without the clashing characters. There is a beautiful shot from a sandy beach showing miles of ocean against a beautiful cloudy sky. The ending battle was also pretty exciting as well with the big hulking fortresses smashing through buildings where you can see all the damage and dust with lots of robots fighting back. Even the opening shots of Olympus are pretty impressive. One thing I didn't like about the objects though is that some of them are way too shiny. And why do the roads of Olympus have to be made of reflective glass? I'd hate to think what would happen if one of those hover-cars crashed on that road. There are some fight scenes here and there, but they are pretty cliche at best. There is one scene where Knute and her female Bioroid companion are attacked by a robot that can slice through anything with her hair and there is a giant robot chase through a mall. Both are pretty pointless. The soundtrack is a mix of an orchestrated score and medicore techno rock. There is a big clash in mood with music like this.

Despite some nice imagery here and there, it is no excuse for poor dialogue, characters I couldn't care less about and cliche fights. Finally, I have to say it. This movie was like watching a video game. This kind of animation might pass for a video game cinematic or maybe a direct-to-video movie, but in terms of being a theatrical film, I expect a little more.

3D/3D Cel-Shading, 95 minutes, 2004

Kite

2005-06-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: *

According to the description, this Japanese animated feature is "a cross between The Professional and La Femme Nikita is sure to shock and entertain every anime fan". Is it true? Well, it does borrow elements from The Professional and La Femme Nikita. Sadly, it does nothing new with these elements. Is it shocking and entertaining? Well, it is shocking.

Kite is a bloody action film about a teenage girl named Sawa. Her parents are murdered at a young age so she decides to work as a deadly vigilante who works for detectives. Oh, and in case you haven't pieced it together by now, she was raped as a child. Sawa wears two jewel earings that are a memento of her parents which serves no purpose other than triggering her anger when one of them is shot. While on a mission, she meets a male assassain around her age and they form a relationship (I guess). Eventually, she is betrayed by the detectives and her relationship with the boy is cut short.

The biggest draw of the animation are the action scenes which are very gory and a bit hard to believe at times. There is one scene in which Sawa is tackled by a guard and falls out a window. Using the guards body as a shield, they smash into a car on a highway which falls through the highway onto another car which falls through the street into a subway. This makes me ask a) exactly how fragile is the concrete in this city and b) how could anyone survive through all those impacts? The action scenes are just so over the top they become ridiculous. There is a scene in a bathroom where Sawa knees a man in the groin and he vomits up peas and carrots.

The actual animation for the action scenes are pretty nice with a rather high framerate. However, the colors are just so bland and hard to look at. The version I saw was the edited down release and after viewing it, I'm glad I didn't see the uncut version. From what I've read, the uncut version contains about an extra 15 minutes worth of sex scenes (a few of which being flashbacks from when Sawa was raped as a child). Seriously, how could this make the film any better? I guess if you can't quite cater to the action crowd, you might as well sell out for the adults only section.

With the exception of ridiculous fights, Kite is completely predictable. If you've seen The Professional, you've seen Kite. Only Kite lacks interesting characters, plot and logic. There is a music video which take this techno song and sets it against all the action scenes in the film. I've seen this used as a trailer on other Anime Works DVDs. If you happen to run by this music video, congradulations, you've seen the condensed and less painful version of Kite. And that is all you should have to see. What does the title Kite mean anyway? Perhaps flying one would be prefered over watching this anime.

2-D, 45 minutes, 2000

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

2005-06-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * *

The classic DC dark knight has been seen as a bit of a joke in the movies. Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were major dissapointments, not to mention the large embaressment brought on by the TV series of the 60's. One would give up all hope for the caped crusader and not expect much from an animated Batman movie. However, Mask of the Phantasm is a delightful surprise.

Rather than going into the usual villain-of-the-week setup, the film goes in a different direction. A grim repear dressed figure known as the Phantasm is lurking around Gotham randomly taking out criminals. At first, this sounds like another villain-of-the-week story, but the Phantasm doesn't get much screen time. Instead of seeing the villain winking at the camera and spouting off cliche villain lines, there is more time spent trying to figure out who he is and why he is killing certain people. An old mob boss, voiced by Abe Vigoda, becomes extremely worried and seeks help from his old friend the Joker, voiced by Mark Hamil. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne, voiced by Kevin Conroy, is confronted by his past when an old flame returns to Gotham. This brings about a series of flashbacks before Bruce became Batman and was just a young millionaire in love. Little does he know that his past actions and his encounter with the Phantasm are linked together.

This is far from being your average animated kid's film or even your average Batman film for that matter. In fact, Mask of the Phantasm is such an intricate feature, it may be a bit too much for the younger audiance. The story is a type of murder mystery which is pretty easy to solve before the villain is unmasked or the story is revealed, but the drama and tension is there and it works. The story is also pretty dark as the Phantasm actually does kill his victims. They aren't bloody or graphic, but a little dark in the execution. Even the Joker kills a character at one point and uses his corpse as an armed decoy. Also, Bruce and his ex-girlfriend are both orphens who visit their parent's graves and it plays a very heavy role in their lives.

The animation and direction of the film is spectacular. The opening scene has a slow pan of a 3D Gotham city with a powerful chrous version of the Batman theme. It truly hooks you. One change I would have liked to have seen is to make it more clear when we are watching a flashback. The film bounces back and fourth between the present and the past and it isn't quite as evident. There is almost no difference between Bruce in the past and Bruce in the present.

Overall, Mask of the Phantasm is an entertaining and thrilling animated film that will appeal to a large audiance. The story is intricate, the characters are not dumb or campy and the direction is great. The film has a PG rating and can be found in the kid's section of video stores, but I believe it is more deserving of being placed in the family section. Don't let the fact that it was marketed as children's cartoon scare you. This is one of the best Batman movies out there. If you want another campy action film, look to the lesser sequels. If Batman Begins peaked your interest and you want something more in the same vain, I highly recommend Mask of the Phantasm. This is Batman the way it was meant to be seen.

2-D, 76 minutes, 1993

The Lord of the Rings

2005-06-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * *

J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel trilogy The Lord of the Rings has become one of his most admired works of literature. It was only natural that the film industry would capitalize on such a beloved tale. During the late 1970's, the only medium that could visually accommodate Tolkien's vision was animation. However, this animated version by Ralph Bakshi makes me wish that the motion picture industry had held off on adapting the trilogy for a few more years.

If you have read the book or seen the Peter Jackson directed trilogy, you know the story. A ring that rules over all must be destroyed and Frodo is the hobbit for the job. He sets out with a party consisting of Aragorn, a human warrior, Legolas, an elf, and Gandolf, the wizard. They make their way through Middle Earth so they can reach Mount Doom to destroy the ring. Along the way they encounter dark armies, orcs and talking trees. While The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy, the animated feature covers both the Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers arcs. This, however, is a problem as the movie plows through each key scene so quickly that there is no time to let the characters sink in. Although I'm sure those who are already aware of the trilogy will recognize and identify with the characters, but newcomers will be simply too dumbfounded to care for any of them.

The biggest flaw of the film is the animation. Ralph Bakshi wanted to experiment with rotoscoping on this film, but, saddly, it does not work well. The problem is that as the film progresses, the animation begins to mutate from traditional 2-D animation to rotoscoping animation that simply looks like live-action shot on high contrast film. Another distraction is that the framerate fluctuates betweens slow natural movement and fast action. The line quality also changes too dramatically between scenes. One moment Gandolf well have a few lines to detail his character and the next he will be in battle and have line quality so realistic it is scary. There are some scenes where Bakshi's tricky techniques actually work. Such as portraying the orcs and Gollum in very dark colors to mask their appearance so you only see their figures.

The whole point of animation is to create the illussion of life. There isn't much of an illussion in The Lord of the Rings. These money saving techniques of animation, although clever, merely display a large clash between live-action and 2-D animation. While this clash may serve well for animated films such as Cool World or Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Bakshi's film is a perfect example of how it can fall flat. Could The Lord of the Rings have worked if it was properly rotoscoped? Of course.

I actually felt sorry for Ralph Bakshi. This is just a project that was too big for him. Especially in terms of cramming two parts of a trilogy into a two hour animation. However, this film isn't a total lost. Those who couldn't sit through the long Peter Jackson version of the trilogy can get the basics on the first two arcs from this film. And on a lighter note for you LotR fans, there is an animated version of Return of the King that was not directed by Bakshi. So at least there is closure.

2D/Rotoscope/Live-Action, 133 minutes, 1978

The Animation Show 2005

2005-05-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Judge and Hertzfeltd return once again to produce a theatrical collection of some of the best short animations our world has to offer. The second annual Animation Show prooves that these two are quickly becoming the next Spike and Mike. Featuring a variety of animation from around the world and around the corner, this collection is a real treat.

Bunnies (2002): This 30 second, 2D animation from Germany is very cute and bizzare examining the everyday futuristic urban life. This was used as the introduction to the Animation Show.

Guard Dog (2003): The brilliantly independant Bill Plympton has done it again. Guard Dog is a quirky short about a dog who considers all the consequences in order to protect his master. The short is filled with Plympton's usual slapstick jokes that never get old.

F.E.D.S. (2002): F.E.D.S. stands for Food Education Demo Specialists and is a documentary about of a group of grocery store clerks who try to keep up their perky attitudes. This short is by Jen Drummond who worked as an animator on Waking Life and she uses the same style here as well. This is easily a prime example of how rotoscoping is not dead.

Pan with Us (2003): One of the most experimental of the bunch, Pan with Us tells the story of the Greek god Pan through 2D animation done in stop motion. Director David Russo produces some unique animation by using some creative stop-motion techniques such as shooting an endless amount of frames rolled out on a road or shooting individual shot of an eagle flying through different backgrounds being held up.

Ward 13 (2003): Stop-motion is definitily not dead and Ward 13 is evidence. When a man named Ben gets in a car accident he awakes in a hospital filled with bizzare patients and twice as bizzare doctors. Ben soon fines himself fighting for his life trying to escape from the ward. What develops is an entertaining action-comedy including a brilliant chase scene with wheelchairs.

Hello (2003): A tape player falls in love with a CD player, but always fiddle with his tapes to find the right words to say. He seeks helps from a record player. A great piece of 2D animation with some beautiful lighting and shadows.

Rock Fish (2002): Debuting at last year's SIGGRAPH, Rock Fish is a feature-quality 3D animation about a man and his...alien pet fishing under the rocky terrain of a planet. Everything about this animation just works. The 3D animation is perfectly modelled and animated, the acting is believable, the story simple enough to work and the music fits.

The Man With No Shadow (2004): Georges Schwizgebel returns with another piece of beautiful animation done with acrylics painted on cels. Just like last year's LA COURSE À L'ABÎME, his newest animation has the same flow making smooth transitions between scenes. The story is basically about a man who looses his shadow.

Fallen Art (2004): Many will think I am sick for writing this, but Fallen Art was the most hilarious short of the show. This 3D animation starts out with a superior officer pushing a soldier off a very tall tower. Once he splats on the concrete, some skinny dude takes a picture and hands it off to another soldier. That soldier gives it a fat man in a large room where he puts the picture in a machine. He than plays back all the photos of splattered soldiers to dance music and the pictures put together look as if the soldiers are dancing across the concrete. Twisted, but brilliantly stylized and creatively thought out.

When the Day Breaks (1999): Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby may be the next Ralph Bakshi of animation with their direction and animation for When the Day Breaks. They chose a very interesting way to rotoscope by shooting the actions of human actors on Hi-8, transferring that to VHS, printing certain frames and altering them. The story is about a pig who goes to the market and witnesses a chicken killed in a car crash.

Fireworks (2004): Quick stop-motion of candy depicting fireworks. Nothing much to say.

The Meaning of Life (2005): Everyone probably loves Don Hertzfeldt for his hilarious cult classic shorts Billy's Balloon and Rejected. If those prooved how well Hertfeldt does comedy, Meaning of Life prooves that he is a master of 2D animation. Although this isn't as funny as Hertzfeldt's previous animations, Meaning of Life is a visual masterpiece. It starts with about 60 different human beings just walking and repeating common phrases. The animation then whips away to some glorious shots of space and other alien creatures. It is important to keep in mind that NONE of this was done with computers. Every bit of animation I saw on screen was hand-drawn and it is pretty unbelievable.

Overall, this year's Animation Show was terrific and I enjoyed just about every short. While last year's Animation Show kept the audiance laughing (I found myself laughing pretty hard), this year's show kept the audiance in awe. If there is one thing that The Animation Show 2005 can say, it is that the future looks bright for animation of all forms.

2D/Rotoscope/3D/Stop-motion/Claymation, 85 minutes, 2005

Heavy Traffic

2005-05-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Ralph Bakshi definitely made an impact with directing his first animated feature, Fritz the Cat. The film featured sex, drug use, explicit language, an awful lot of nudity and tackled some tough issues. Fritz the Cat had such an impact that a follow-up feature would pale in comparison. Well, if Fritz the Cat was a kamikaze film, Heavy Traffic aims to please.

The easiest way to describe this film would be a 70's version of On the Waterfront. Heavy Traffic tells the story of Micheal, an aspiring animator who lives with his homicidal Jewish mother and his Italian mafia father, Angie. Micheal's parents fight constantly, but Micheal drowns them out with his drawings. He makes friends with a black bartender named Carole, who will often give him free drinks for drawings via a string lift. When Carole is fired from her job, the two set out to make it on their own. Meanwhile, Angie's life is tumbling down and his son is only making things worse as well his wife who tries to kill him constantly. It all boils down to a bitter, but satisfying climax.

There is a lot to like about Heavy Traffic. For one, there is quite a variety of interesting characters. There is Moe, Micheal's crazy black friend who kicks around with him up on the roof. There is Shorty, a surly character with no legs and a violent nature. There is Snowflake, the cross-dressing guy who just wants to be loved and have a good time. All of these characters are fun, entertaining and serve the feature well. The story is pretty straight forward as I described it, but Bakshi does make time for the occassional dialogue and events that slow the pace down just a bit. There are a few scenes in which we get see some of Micheal's cartoons such as a parody of his parents fighting or an alternative take on religion with Jesus killing God.

What makes Heavy Traffic so dazzling is that it blends 2D with live-action. However, Heavy Traffic inserts just enough live-action into the animation that it doesn't become a distraction, nor clash with the animation (Bakshi did this later with Cool World). The feature eventually switches over to live-action at the end, but it works well with the story as the actors look and act the same as the characters. The sky in the night scenes is footage of an actual night sky with clouds passing over a moon. Every bit of live-action inserted works so well, unlike Bakshi's other films incorporating live-action, most of which were meant to be rotoscoped. The 2D animation shines as well with some interesting visual elements. There is one interesting piece of animation where the godfather is slurping up some spaghetti and you can see human figures taking shape off the noodles.

Just like Fritz the Cat, Bakshi has managed to pull off that relaxed and cool atmosphere. This is aided by a smooth soundtrack featuring the recognizable jazzy Take 5, the familiar Twist and Shout and a beautiful rendition of a famous Simon and Garfunkel song. Much life Bakshi's version of Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic is a depiction of New York filled with racial tension, sex, violence and gangsters. Micheal's dad gets pushed over the edge when he finds out he has a black girlfriend, a bunch of Micheal's friends arrange a hooker for him and Micheal's mom's breast keeps popping out of her dress. However, compared to Bakshi's last film, Heavy Traffic's offensiveness is pretty light.

Out of all of Bakshi's animated features, Heavy Traffic serves as one of his best. This is an animated features that works well on both a storytelling and visual level. Animation is a very difficult, expensive and long-term investment. Heavy Traffic proves that risk-taking and experimentation can pay off in this art style.

2D/Live-Action, 76 minutes, 1973

Heavy Metal

2005-05-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * *

I can recall one slow morning at art college when my morning class was cancelled and I spent my time down in the lounge where most people were either sleeping or studying. That was until I popped Heavy Metal into the TV and a large crowd soon gathered around to watch. Some of them were just curious while most of them instantly recognized it and sat down. Despite being over two decades old, Heavy Metal is still an entertaining and rather popular animated feature.

Heavy Metal is based off the French comic magazine of the same name. The film is split up into seperate stories with some of them being from the original magazine and some not. Starting off with a stunning sequence of a car being dropped in space, we lead right into the main story of an evil green ball called the Loknar confronting a scared child after melting her father. The Loknar proceeds in telling the girl stories of his travels.

The first is "Harry Canyon", the story of a cab driver who lives the life of a detective. "Den" is about a typical nerdy teenager who is sucked into an alternative universe where he is big and muscular as the women have big boobs. "Captain Stern" is about an arrogant space captain who is attacked during his hearing. "B-17" is a disturbing piece about a bomber that is attacked by the Loknar and the dead crew members turn into zombies. "So Beautiful So Dangerous" is about two stoned aliens and a robot who becomes involved with an earth chick. The final story of "Tarrna" involves the Loknar turning an entire group of people into a war race and it is up to a leather clad femme fatale to stop them.

From that description, Heavy Metal sounds like a quirky cartoon that could be enjoyed by all. What I neglected to mention was that there are sex scenes in "Harry Canyon" and "Den", drug use in "So Beautiful So Dangerous" and pretty much every story has a heaping dose of violence. Even "Captain Stern", which doesn't seem to have any of those elements, deals with Stern facing charges of leading a preschooler prostitute ring and hustling drugs as a nun. Don't be confused, though, as Heavy Metal is much more than just shock value. The stories are interesting and entertaining each in their own special way. Even "Harry Canyon" seems to be the main inspiration for the The Fifth Element. The movie is also backed up by a great cast (John Candy, Harold Ramis, John Vernon) and a terrific soundtrack boasting various rock bands and a score by Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven). It is pretty cool going from a town massacre to the tune of Black Sabbath's "Mob Rules", only to be followed by an epic flight sequence powered by a breathtaking orchestra.

Each story has it's own unique and creative style, keeping true to the original comics. What was the biggest draw for me of Heavy Metal, was the wide variety of animation styles and techniques. "Den" retains Richard Corben's unique style of cartoony and realistic elements, while "B-17" has more of traditional comic book feel. Although this is a 2D animated film from the early 80's, there is a lot of experimentation with different animation techniques. The "B-17" sequence featured a real B-17 bomber model that was painted black, outlined with white paint, shot on high contrast film and sent to the animators to be used as a template. "Tarrna" is shot almost entirely on rotoscope along with large tracking shots using the same technique used in "B-17". Although at times the realistic rotoscoped movements moves a little too slow, it works well in most scenes such as the rotating shot of Tarrna dressing.

With big breasted chicks, coke sniffing aliens, horny robots, undead hordes, zombie pilots, hard-boiled heroes and a green orb with a deep voice, Heavy Metal has everything I could possibly want in an animated film. This is a great feature that pushes the boundaries of animation and filmmaking. That alone makes Heavy Metal a timeless classic.

2D/Rotoscope, 90 minutes, 1981

The Animation Show

2005-04-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

Mike Judge (Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill) and Don Hertzfeldt (Billy's Balloon) have come together to produce a collection of the best in international animated short films. Featuring some of the best in 2D, 3D and even stop-motion animation, The Animation Show has enough variety to put Spike and Mike to shame. Some of the shorts are well-known as others are quite new to the animation scene.

The Cathedral (2002): A 3D animated short from Poland, Tomek Baginski creates a haunting, magical world based on the novel from Jacek Dukaj. After a long journey, a pilgram arrives at the edge of the world to discover a cathedral which holds a secret in the architecture. While The Cathedral does have some impressive visuals, something about the design feels like it has been done before. After the endless repetition of stuff like Warcraft, Final Fantasy and Lord of the Rings, The Cathedral appeared more than a little chliche. Although I'm sure Jacek Dukaj has probably written a fantastic story, it could have been stylized in a much more original perspective.

Mars and Beyond excerpt (1957): Directed by the famous Disney animator Ward Kimball, Mars and Beyond is a unique and imaginative speculation of what the red planet may become. The third in the trilogy of Disney's "science-factual" shorts, the animation is a brilliant mixture of 2D and experimental photography that looks like something right out of Fantasia. The inclusion of Mars and Beyond in The Animation Show is a fitting tribute to the late Ward Kimball who died a few years ago.

Rejected (2001): Out of all of Don Hertzfeldt's short animations of comical stick figures, Rejected is by far his crowning achievement. Rejected tells the tale of a struggling animator working in the advertising industry told through his obscure ads. Featuring such memorable quotes as "my spoon is too big", "I am feeling fat and sassy" and "my anus is bleeding", Hertzfeldt's crazy and comical 2D short has become an instant classic.

Early Animation (1990): Mike Judge's contribution to the show plays like a demo reel. Early Animation features some of Mike Judge's pencil tests, a rare short and one of his infamous Milton shorts from Saturday Night Live, which was later adapted into Office Space. It was pretty interesting to see some of Mike Judge's early animation before his success of King of the Hill.

LA COURSE À L'ABÎME (1992): Easily one of the most visually beautiful shorts of the show, Georges Schwizgebel uses acrylic painted cells to create an elegant moving portrait of two horse riders alternating between other animated images. The final scene in which the camera pulls back and reveals the entire path of the animation is truly a marvel in cell animation.

Das Rad (2001): Nominated for the Academy Award in Best Animated Short of 2003, Das Rad is a German stop-motion\CGI animation about two rock figures who see time pass much faster as they watch a city grow before their eyes. It was pretty humorous watching these two rocks interact with one another with one who discovers a wheel and another who has moss constantly growing on his back.

Fifty Percent Gray (2001): Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short of 2002, Fifty Percent Gray is a short and humorous Irish 3D animation about a soldier's journey through the afterlife. Pretty simple, but an excellent concept.

Mt. Head (2002): Another Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short of 2003, Mt. Head is a Japanese 2D\CGI animation that looks just like the illustrations in a children's book. The short is about...a man's head. It is much more entertaining than it sounds.

Strange Invaders (2001): Another lovely short from the good folks of the National Film Board of Canada. Academy Award nominee Strange Invaders is a 2D animation about a couple who want a child and end up getting a genius child from space.

Ident (1989): An odd claymation about a finger puppet who makes his way through a maze of social anxiety.

Parking (2003): If you don't know who Bill Plympton is, he is one of the hardest working animators today. He writes, animates and directs all of his animations by himself. Parking is an excellent example of his quality 2D work about a parking lot owner who is tormented by a single blade of grass growing on his pavement.

Along with these quality shorts there is an introduction, intermission and closing animated by Hertzfeldt, utilizing his infamous dancing balls of fluff. In addition, the theatrical version also included the claymation shorts of Ricardo and Tim Burton's famous Disney short, Vincent.

Overall, The Animation Show is worth viewing more than once with a good collection of animated shorts, new and old. As I understand, the DVD version has actually cut some of the shorts out which is such a shame. Although the segments they cut could be easily found on the internet or perhaps in a Spike and Mike collection, it would be nice to have all of them on one DVD rather than just getting a taste of them from the theatrical version. Either way, it is one heck of an animation show and I can't wait for the next collection.

2D/3D/CGI/Stop-Motion/Claymation, 101 minutes, 2003

Fritz the Cat

2005-04-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * *

Robert Crumb (Crumb) is one of the most daring comic book artists of all time. Ralph Bakshi (Lord of the Rings, Cool World) is one of the most experimental animation directors of all time. So what happens when you combine Crumb's story and characters with Bakshii's direction? The result is one bizzare animated film.

The movie takes place in the 1960's. Race is still an issue, college kids are smoking dope, cops are corrupt, riots are breaking out and hippies roam the land. We first see our title character in the park where he uses his writing and poetry skills to convince three chicks to get in bed with him. He brings them back to his friend's apartment where everyone in the living room is getting stoned. To avoid them, Fritz leads the girls into the bathroom for sex in the bathtub. It isn't long before his friends bust the bathroom door open and join in on his orgy. Around this time, the bumbling cops bust through the door. Fritz steals one of their guns and shoots the toilet, causing a mini-flood. Now Fritz is on the run from the bumbling cops in a chase that somehow leads to a jewish temple

So what do these events have to do with the plot? Not much outside of establishing a few characters. It isn't until after all those events that Fritz sets his dorm on fire in a writer's rage. Now Fritz is not only trying to become a better writer, but is also on the lamb. His adventure takes him through the streets of Harlem (with black people portrayed as crows) where he incites a riot for the people of Harlem to rise up against the cops. Fritz later seeks refuge with Winston, one of his female friends. Winston, however, wants Fritz to settle down and Fritz decides that is not for him. So he hooks up with a resistance group who plan on making a 60's statement where Fritz finally begins to understand life.

So is it a good film? Let's put it this way. After the film, Bakshi's career in feature animation took off and Crumb quickly killed off Fritz in his comic. While the film does follow Crumb's original story and dialogue perfectly, there are some issues with continuity, timing, length and even the execution of dialogue. Certain scenes go on longer than they should. When Fritz gets stoned in Harlem and proceeds in making love to a large woman, it seems to go on forever. And just try to comprehend the unbelievable physics of a pool game in a bar scene which is just absurd (even for a cartoon). In terms of Crumb's original story, Fritz the Cat is a pretty explicit movie that is unsuitable for children and may be too much for some adults as well. Cartoon animals having sex is just creepy, no matter how you slice it.

From this perspective, Fritz the Cat seems like nothing more than a dated novelty. The age of Fritz definetely shows through the story, animation and even the dialogue (using phrases like "in a bag" or "bug out"). However, the irreverance of Fritz is what made the film entertaining. If there is one element this animation does right, it would have to be the atmosphere. The bar scene in Harlem is such a well done scene (with the exception of the pool game). The dialogue feels natural, the actions feel natural while still being a little exaggerated and the music fits the mood. I like the fact that this was a film that took the time to animate natural dialogue that is inconsequential. Scenes such as Harlem crows debating racial politics or some workers on a lunch break discussing today's youth have nothing to do with the story, but are interesting to watch.

Fritz the Cat is an animated feature that is dated, offensive, disgusting and rude. But is it entertaining? In a twisted psychotic sense, yes, Fritz the Cat is a fun feature. It definitely isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind a cartoon in the vein of Cheech and Chong meets Garfield meets Playboy, Fritz the Cat is worth a watch.

2D animation, 79 minutes, 1972

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

2005-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Rating: * * * 1/2

When you think of a science fiction film, there are a few elements you expect from the genre. Highly advanced computers, more human-like robots, flying ships, laser guns, futuristic architecture and maybe an alien race are just a few elements you may expect to see in a sci-fi film. Most science fiction films use these elements to move the audience away from reality and leave them in awe of all the graphics and creative designs. For Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, he uses the same elements, but doesn't let them get in the way of a complicated and philosophical story. This leaves the audience both in awe and in thought.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence takes place right after the first movie with Major Kusanagi, the lead female android from the first film, being AWOL and Batou, Kusanagi's former cybernetic partner, taking center stage at Section 9 with his partner Togusa, another cop with the fewest cybernetic implants in Public Security Section 9 who still carries a revolver. Batou and Togusa begin investigating a series of murders in which all the victims were killed by doll-like androids known as gynoids, which are mechanical servants devoid of ghosts (a term used in this society to define a soul). However, it seems that these murderous gynoids are the newest models from Locus Sulos called sexaroids (yes, they really are called that). The two cops begin snooping around for reasons why the ghost-less androids would kill of their own freewill. After delving deeper into Locus Solus, confronting some bureaucrats and battling some cybernetic yakuza, they are lead to a towering Hong Kong city in search of a cybernetic hacker known as Kim. During this time, Batou begins questioning his own humanity and begins throwing quotes of Milton and the Bible back and forth with Togusa. All this leads up to an epic battle on a vessel containing tons of berserk gynoids and the reasons why they act on their own. Despite the fact they fight naked, it's pretty scary when a doll-faced android can smack your head off with the back of her hand.

Techno babble and complicated plot aside, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence has a lot more to offer. Words cannot describe how beautiful and luscious the animation was in this film. While the last film used cool colors like greens and blues, Innocence uses more warm colors like oranges and yellows. The sight of the Hong Kong city in the evening is just so amazing. In the last Ghost in the Shell movie, there is a five-minute sequence in which nothing significant happens and we just get to see day-to-day activities in the city while haunting choir and drum music covers the background. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence uses this sequence as well, but we are treated to a Chinese parade with mammoth sized elephants and Chinese warriors. I would have to say the best part of the animation was seeing the massive amounts of birds in the aerial shots. I just can't get over how much detail there are to these birds and that the animators took all this time to put so much detail on them. There is one shot in which there is a close-up of one of the birds and you can see the detail of its eyes and its feathers. To go along with the excellent imagery, Mamoru Oshii's directing and cinematography complete this work of visual poetry. There are many high quality scenes in which the camera will move around every angle. The most memorable scene of Oshii's directing was when Batou and Togusa confront the hacker Kim at his mansion. This scene is replayed three times with new changes each time we see the two cops confront Kim while he rambles on about human life and Darwinism. There is an explanation given on why this sequence occurs, but I would have loved if it wasn't explained and left the audience wondering.

Of course, for a sequel to Ghost in the Shell, you just have to have Kenji Kawai do the music. Kenji Kawai's music has continued to enhance every Mamoru Oshii movie to come out of Production I.G. and this is no exception. For this film, Kawai still uses the haunting choir and drums from the first movie, but has some different beats to the soundtrack. Even though the music seems a little epic, it is actually quite relaxing during scenes such as the Chinese parade. The main theme 'Follow Me' sung by Kimiko Itoh is one of the most downbeat and soothing songs I've ever heard in any anime film. There is, however, some very thrilling music in the movie used in scenes such as the sequence when Batou and Togusa are entering the mansion.

While Batou was more of tough guy cop in the last movie and still is in this sequel, he has learned a great deal about life and what it means to be human from his former partner Major Kusanagi. Batou also owns a basset hound to remind him of how precious humanity is in this day and age. In case you weren't aware, Mamoru Oshii is a big dog lover and it is made evident in this film as Batou's hound is modeled after Oshii's own dog. Togusa hasn't changed much as he still carries his revolver, but since he is a rather rookie cop with almost no cybernetic components, he is thrown head first into the complexities of how scary it is for a cyborg to question his humanity. Of course, the regular characters Ishikawa and Aramaki show up, but their roles are significantly reduced after the first act. Batou refers to the AWOL Major Kusanagi as his guardian angel and she does show up at a key point in the story to help Batou.

Of course, the film isn't entirely perfect. Not only is there a wide range of techno babble to confuse you, but the dialogue is laced with tons of quotes from Milton to Confucious. The philosophy heavy story shouldn't be too much of a surprise for those who are familiar with Oshii's other films. Not to give away any of the story, but some will be dissapointed as the ending is anti-climactic and there are few moments of action.

Still, in a cinema world where science fiction has become heavy on big explosions and massive battles, it's nice to finally have a less noisy sci-fi film of this nature. Instead of spending all the computer graphics on an army of robots trying to kill humans, most of the computer graphics are used to enhance the scenery such as the large number of birds in the skies. In my opinion, this is one of the best sci-fi films since Blade Runner. Mamoru Oshii has created this visually surreal, almost dream-like world that you just want to melt into.

2D/3D animation, 100 minutes, 2004